MLS Power Rankings: Week 28

The Timbers couldn't take the Cascadia Cup, but they did manage to knock Seattle down a few pegs. Meanwhile, over on the other side of the continent, Thierry Henry put New York on his back and carried them past Columbus.

But the big story is what happened in Dallas. Julian de Guzman's strike means it's go time for FCD and Vancouver, and we expect a down-to-the-wire finish out West.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Only MLS regular-season games reflected on schedule. All times are Eastern.

Rank

Trending

Last

Club

Comment

1

1

Saturday's late show at Chivas was the definition of a "trap" game, but San Jose handled it with aplomb. They could have been a bit sharper in the final third, but 2-0 on the road is very nice work.

That 90 minutes against Houston is a look at exactly what SKC are going to have to do from here on out. It's not about getting behind the defense anymore, it's about getting above them. A healthy and confident C.J. Sapong makes that a much more achievable proposition.

This Week: Wednesday at New York (7:30 pm; MLS Live); Saturday at Montreal (1 pm; TSN/RDS in Canada,MLS Live)

4

6

Sure, the Fire blew hot and cold through most of the season's first half. But since mid-July, they've arguably been the league's best team, and the instant chemistry between Chris Rolfe, Sherjill MacDonald, Álvaro Fernández and Patrick Nyarko is a sight to behold.

Ho-hum, another multi-goal win with yet another veteran contributor making his case. There's a good chance Christian Wilhemsson will play the Eddie Lewis role of 2009 and 2010, finding the touchline and spreading the field for the strikers. He gives LA a dimension they needed.

One week after screaming bloody murder about the ref, they get bailed out by an huge no-call. The lesson? These things even out over the course of the season. Of more concern should be how fragile they look defending set pieces.

This is a different Houston team, one that's content to absorb pressure for as long as it takes, then start stringing passes together and slam you. It was a 14-pass build-up against SKC this time, capped in spectacular fashion by Brad Davis.

The rumors of adding Portuguese youngster David Viana could help a midfield that's been a bit stagnant, but what they really need is someone to score. Paulo Jr., please pick up the Claret-and-Cobalt courtesy phone. Preferably this Saturday evening.

Last Week: Bye

Last Five: L-L-D-W-L

This Week: Saturday vs. Portland (8 pm, NBCSN)

9

13

Ninety-five minutes into Saturday's game, it looked like FCD's season was pretty much over. Ninety-six minutes in, we had one of the signature moments of the year. They still need some help to catch Vancouver, but nothing can be ruled out at this point.

The Power Rankings Politburo is still a bit confused about Federico Higuaín's omission, but the Crew still put up a pretty good fight against New York. And the good news is that both Higuaín and Andy Gruenebaum are expected to be available for both of this week's contests.

That's how you celebrate a new contract. Chris Pontius was in a bit of a midsummer lull, but he broke out of it in a big way vs. the Revs, picking up one of the prettiest assists of the season in a much-needed win.

"Alessandro Nesta, defensive liability." Looks strange in print, but it's a fact right now. And don't say we didn't warn you — we mentioned last week (and the week before) that Montreal were flying in the face of precedent with their aging, gaffe-prone central defense.

The "Last Five" stat says it all. We still can't figure out why the 'Caps changed everything midseason, and now it looks like they might cough up the playoff spot that looked virtually certain six weeks ago.

Well, it's not like the Union are losing a ton, so that's a positive for a young team. They just have no idea how to generate offense at this point, though, and that's why they've regressed so much this season.

If Diego Chara wasn't so prone to simulation and exaggeration, he probably would have gotten that PK call. But when you spend so much time trying to fool refs, you earn a rep that can come back to hurt you. So ... que sera, sera.

Even when things break right for the Rapids — as they did on Conor Casey's late chance — they still have a way of going wrong. Still, the addition of Hendry Thomas has made this team much, much tougher to play against. He's a big part of what they needed.

We're still not sure why they argued the penalty call on John Alexander Valencia so vociferously. Just a sloppy mental mistake from a veteran who should know better, which is really the story of Chivas' season.